10.06.2015

Review: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?

Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.

She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.

Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart.

He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling.

Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?

Readers who love Sarah Dessen will tear through these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver’s father’s crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story.

First Line: "Oliver disappeared after school on a Friday afternoon, way back when we were in second grade, and small things seemed really important and important things seemed to small."Review:Emmy and Oliver turned out to be more than what I expected. From that cover I thought I was going to get a sweet romance but it was more than that. It was about growing up, family and discovering oneself.Oliver and Emmy were next door neighbors and best friends if not on the way to becoming more but one day Oliver doesn't return after spending the weekend with his dad because his father decided to kidnap him. A decade later Oliver is found and his world is pretty much turned upside down. He was lied to by his father and doesn't know what to think anymore. He was a very conflicted character because a part of him still loved his dad very much regardless of what he did because his dad and the life he had with him was all he knew and now he finds out his mom didn't abandon him and he was missing the whole time he was living his other life not to mention because he was abducted at such a young age he barely remembers anyone including Emmy.As far as Emmy goes her life was affected deeply by Oliver's kidnapping. Besides the fact that she lost her best friend that day, her life would never be the same. Her parents are extra protective of her in fear of what happened to Oliver she has to sneak around to do the one thing she loves the most and there hasn't been a day that has passed that she hasn't thought of Oliver.Both characters were very likable and my heart broke for each of them for different reasons. I loved that the parents were not absent in their lives like a lot of young adult books, there was conflict on both sides between Oliver and his mom and Emmy and her parents. Also two other notable characters that are worth mentioning is Caro and Drew they were Emmy's friends and also knew Oliver from when they were kids and I have to admit they were great friends with their own issues that they were dealing with.Overall this was a great coming of age story and I highly recommend it.

Memorable Quotes:~“Coming home is like being kidnaped all over again,” ~"Sometimes love isn't something you say, it's something you do"

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~*Est. Feb 2011*~
Book Flame is a blog dedicated to my love for reading. You will find reviews on various genres along with blog tours and Q&A with best selling and Indie authors. You can also find me on bookstagram and follow my reviews on goodreads.